The US Department of State has issued a travel warning to US citizens recommending that they reconsider travel to the twin island republic Trinidad and Tobago due to crime.
The statement outlines, “Criminal activity often occurs in crowded public locations such as markets, shopping malls, airports, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, transportation hubs, schools, and other areas.”
The embassy’s advisory comes a day after a harrowing incident unfolded on Wednesday afternoon (December 27) along the Churchill Roosevelt Highway, claiming the lives of four individuals, reported to be friends of Trinibad artist Kman Sixx real name Kashif Sankar, including an innocent bystander. At approximately 2:35 pm, five men were traveling westbound on the highway when, upon reaching the UWI intersection traffic light, a black vehicle pulled alongside and unleashed gunfire.
Citing the “recent increased gang activity in St. Augustine,” as the cause for caution the State Department advises “U.S. Citizens to exercise extreme caution in the St. Augustine areas of Trincity Mall, Trincity, Grand Bazaar, and Valsayn areas into the new year.”
Videos circulating on social media showed the brazen broad daylight events with several angles showing men running and being gunned down in the high way chase as they attempting to escape the assailants. The victims eventually crashed into a container at the roadside. Abandoning their vehicle, they fled in different directions, only to be relentlessly pursued by the attackers. In the ensuing chaos, three of the men were fatally shot.
The deceased were identified as 26-year-old Damian Criss of East Dry River, Port of Spain, 31-year-old Levi Criss, also of East Dry River, Port-of-Spain, and 31-year-old Jerry Hollingsworth of Tilbury Street, Laventille.
Authorities suspect that the intended target was Trinibad dancehall artist Kman Sixx, who miraculously survived the attack and was seen on the roadside weeping as police proceed the crime scene. Amidst the ongoing shooting, a tragic turn of events occurred as 51-year-old Lana Sahadeo, the proprietor of Silver Spoons Eatery, stood at her window observing the incident and was struck by a stray bullet, leading to her instant demise.
Kman, whose “Obsessed” single is currently No. 1 on Apple Music in Anguila, Barbados, Dominca and St. Kitts and Nevis as well as the No. 1 music video on YouTube in Trinidad survived a previous Woodbrook shooting incident in October in that claimed the life of Kaveer Nandram, aka DJ Global.
No Lethal and Black Rain and Kman Sixx’s other top songs and his EP “Big League” reached the second spot in Barbados, Dominica, and Saint Kitts and Nevis, while attaining the No. 3 position in St. Vincent and The Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago.
The project also claimed the fourth position in Guyana and St. Lucia, fifth in Belize, and the sixth positions in Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands. Elsewhere made its mark at No. 7 place in Grenada, No. 27 in the Cayman Islands, No. 41 in Antigua and Barbuda, and No. 64 in Bermuda.
